115 Day Wait For A Vascular Study On My Leg

[71M10]

Gee I thought the VA was talking them selves up last year about how veterans could get appointments and tests withing 30 days. Well I guess that was last year.

Just scheduled my vascular study to see if I can go on aspirn next month and get off Cumadin. They have me scheduled for October 25th. Time to send a letter of to my members of Congress thanking them for this wonderful and timely health care.

Best regards,

[Chuck75]

I'd go back to my PCP and tell them about the delay. The PCP can request an earlier date. If you are presently on Cumadin, there should be fairly frequent blood tests related to clotting time and so forth. It's interesting to me that at "some" VAMCs, a C&P examiner can order such a complex test/study, and get it scheduled immediately.

There are alternatives to Cumadin, just not as inexpensive for the VA, but quite possibly as effective and safer for the patient.

[john999]

Medical rationing.

[Berta]

I suggested a vet here last should contact the OIG due to a med problem.

But I told the vet that I I didnt know how the OIG would react because I griped to them about the RO I deal with,years ago, but they just sent me a nice letter saying they dont get involved in claims issues.

(The issue was that my VARO employs illiterates)

The vet came back here to post that the OIG considered his problem of medical necesssity or something to that affect, maybe they said it was a patient a "safety issue" and OIG called the 2 VAMCs that he had problems with and got him squared away within 36 hours.

Cumadin...vascular.......October 25th??????

I agree with CHUCK. Not a OIG situation yet but nothing to have to mess around with.....or wait that long for.

[jbasser]

The study is a Doppler Exam given by Ultrasound. These departmentes do everything from Leg studies to Kidney / Gall stone so they are extremely busy.

If they find anything you will get a Angiogram. Put a catheter into the groin and look at the vasculature.

Hang in there.

Basser

[GuaymasJim]

Have been running into similar delays at my VAMC. Seems the new SOP is that if you don't come to the ER, then you will get a telephone call in 6 months followed by a face to face appointment in another 6 months. I am raising Cain, but I don't know what success I will have.

This has always been my ace-in-the-hole:

http://www.jointcommission.org/report_a_complaint.aspx

Call them, discuss your issue and follow up with a written explanation. I usually get results in 24-48 hours.